Many methods exist for capturing aquatic animals such as fish. For example, traditional methods include using a line and baited hook, a net, and a gig. A gig usually includes a pole or other elongate item suitable for being grasped and a speared end at which a fish is speared. Spearing a fish is generally considered acceptable when the fish is going to be kept for nutrition or gaming purposes, however, in some instances a fisherman may spear a fish that they cannot otherwise keep.
For example, some municipalities and/or governments have restrictions on the size of a fish that may be harvested such as, for example, a minimum length of a fish. This presents problems when using a gig as a gigged fish is unlikely to recover from the injuries sustained during gigging. For a gigged fish that is under the minimum length requirements, the fisherman must release the gigged fish back into the water. Gigging an undersized fish may happen often when judging the length of a fish during poor visibility due to lack of lighting for fishing at night, water with low visibility, and depth perception due to refracted optics in water. Unfortunately, due to the injuries sustained by the gigged fish, it is likely that an undersized, gigged fish will not survive the injuries from gigging after being released.
A need therefore exists for a method or solution that addresses these disadvantages.